015/ Crown Prince Opens Al al Bait Foundation Conference
Amman, Aug. 21 (Petra)--Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II,
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hamzah Bin Al Hussein, the Higher Chairman
of Al al Bait Foundation for Islamic Thought, opened the 13th Session
of the foundation's conference in the presence of a number of princes
and senior officials.
His Highness affirmed in a speech he delivered, that the nation is
facing continuous pressures and challenges that target its holy shrines.
He said that Islam and Muslims reject extremism, for it is not part of
their values.
The Crown Prince underlined the importance of research and planning
for Muslims to achieve the interest of their nation. "Raising the individual
Muslim through sound education is the element that renews in him and in
his nation the message of Islam,' he added.
The three-day conference aims at answering many questions related
to the position of Islam on Shura and democracy as well as differences
between them.
Participants will discuss 31 researches on shura and democracy and
will focus on issues pertaining to pluralism in Islam, civil and democratic
dimensions of the ruling system in Islam, and the concept of ruling in
Islam.
Al al Bait Foundation, which was established in 1980, aims at presenting
the right image of Islam and Islamic thought and correct the wrong images
about Islam.

Hamzah, a half brother of Jordan's King Abdullah II and heir to the throne, told 80 scholars from 40 countries attending a three-day conference that the Muslim world was facing "successive pressures and challenges ... (that) extend to every corner of the (Islamic) nation's potential and its sacred shrines."

Hamzah did not elaborate on the pressures Muslims were facing, saying only that fanaticism was caused by a "deprivation, oppression and absence of justice" that "provokes hatred."

The prince said the extremist Islamic behaviour resulting from such pressure is then "taken as evidence to convict and blame Muslims on the false assumption that these are characteristics of their morals, principles and even religion."

"But the truth is that Islam and the Muslims reject and condemn these exceptional cases as strange to their true religion and as a form of transgression," he said.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, many in the West cited a lack of freedoms and political and social oppression in the Muslim world for encouraging radical Islam and producing people like the 19 Al Qaeda Islamic extremists who hijacked passenger planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

In the Middle East, many Arabs and Muslims blamed Washington's support of Israel in its conflict with the Palestinians and the presence of U.S. forces in the region as catalysts for anti-Western hatred.

Many Islamic states and leaders have condemned acts of terrorism carried out in the name of Islam and supported the U.S.-led war on terror, but at the same time accused Western countries of comparing the entire Muslim world with militant extremists like Osama bin Laden.

"Extremism has destroyed, throughout history, remarkable achievements in great civilizations, including our Islamic civilization," he said. "When hatred is dominant and hearts are closed, and when people do not resort to the rulings of Sharia (Islamic law) and reason, the tree of civilization withers away and societies cease to grow."

Hamzah also blamed the media for "weakening the Muslim's energy and soul," and suggested that educational reform could remedy extremism and inform the masses of Islam's true meaning.

He urged scholars to take steps toward "self actualization" and said the image of Muslims abroad "cannot be rectified unless we address the imbalance we suffer from inside ourselves."

Hamzah is the president of the board of trustees of the conference host, the Aal al-Bayt Foundation for Islamic Thought, which is dedicated to discussing challenges facing Islam, including extremism and democracy in the Muslim world.

Top clergymen and religious affairs ministers from throughout the Muslim world, plus scholars from countries including the United States, Britain, China, Russia, India and Pakistan, are attending the conference.

The Aal al-Bayt Foundation is a semi-independent think tank established in 1980 by Hamzah's late father, King Hussein, who died five years ago. The institution's name derives from Jordan's ruling Hashemite dynasty, which claims ancestry to the Prophet Muhammad.

Actually, the Al Bayt Foundation and University was entirely the brain child and founded by then Crown Prince Hassan, with the support and blessing of the late King, who was its official Patron. In its original form and for nearly twenty years, it was known and functioned as the Aal Bayt Foundation for the Study of Islamic Civilisation, and had linked to it the Al Al Bayt University which was a post graduate university for similar studies. The Foundation was handed to Prince Hamzah in 1999. It is now called the Al Bayt Foundation for Islamic Thought, and although the members have increased, many of the newer members are from a much more rigid background than the founding members. The University has diversified to teach many other subjects including computor science. The original idea was to make Muslims aware and proud of the diversity of Islam, and to try to teach , discuss and develop a centre-ist Islamic platform for the silent majority of Muslims world wide.

Thanks for pointing this out and for the additional info. I noticed the error in this article as I was reading it. I remember you mentioned this in another thread.

How's Crown Prince Hamzah doing, do you think Shelley? Too early to tell?

Quote:

Originally Posted by shelley

Actually, the Al Bayt Foundation and University was entirely the brain child and founded by then Crown Prince Hassan, with the support and blessing of the late King, who was its official Patron. In its original form and for nearly twenty years, it was known and functioned as the Aal Bayt Foundation for the Study of Islamic Civilisation, and had linked to it the Al Al Bayt University which was a post graduate university for similar studies. The Foundation was handed to Prince Hamzah in 1999. It is now called the Al Bayt Foundation for Islamic Thought, and although the members have increased, many of the newer members are from a much more rigid background than the founding members. The University has diversified to teach many other subjects including computor science. The original idea was to make Muslims aware and proud of the diversity of Islam, and to try to teach , discuss and develop a centre-ist Islamic platform for the silent majority of Muslims world wide.

"Jordan's Crown Prince Hamzah on Saturday urged reforms in Muslim thinking and criticized Islamic extremism, but said such fanaticism resulted from injustices and oppression being suffered by Muslims. " Just what are the "injustices and oppressions" cause extremist Muslims to murder men, women, children, Jews Christians, etc? KHussein killed more Muslims than any Western govt.

""Extremism has destroyed, throughout history, remarkable achievements in great civilizations, including our Islamic civilization," he said. "When hatred is dominant and hearts are closed, and when people do not resort to the rulings of Sharia (Islamic law) and reason, the tree of civilization withers away and societies cease to grow."

Hamzah also blamed the media for "weakening the Muslim's energy and soul," and suggested that educational reform could remedy extremism and inform the masses of Islam's true meaning. "

I do not think that the young man has had much chance so far to make his mark. In the case of his father and uncle, it was much more of a partnership than it seems at present. They had come through hard times together - '67 War, 'Black September' etc and by the time P. Hassan was the age P. Hamzah is today he had already started on the economic reform of Jordan through the first Three Year Development Plan. I don't know whether Hamzah has it in him or not to achieve in a similar manner but he is certainly not getting the support that P. Hassan got at a similar time.

Does anyone have any news of how P. Hamzah's visit to Detroit has been? Any pictures from the 25th Anniversary dinner of the Arab-American and Chaldean Council?

Ps:I have a weird Question and I would love to hear an answer,lol.
Why does HRH always wear the "Cufia",I mean when he inaugurated a reserve in Kufr khal (?),he was wearing it though it was so very hot,and in the US,where people do not know what it is exactely,he was wearing it aswell.
Is it something he has to do in celebrations and ceremonies?or does he like it and thats why he's always wearing it?

Ps:I have a weird Question and I would love to hear an answer,lol. Why does HRH always wear the "Cufia",I mean when he inaugurated a reserve in Kufr khal (?),he was wearing it though it was so very hot,and in the US,where people do not know what it is exactely,he was wearing it aswell.
Is it something he has to do in celebrations and ceremonies?or does he like it and thats why he's always wearing it?

I don't know the answer to your question for certain, but it may be that he wore it in Detroit because there is a large Arab/Muslim population there. Often when anyone from the JRF travels to Detroit, it is to interact with that segment of the Detroit population.

I don't know the answer to your question for certain, but it may be that he wore it in Detroit because there is a large Arab/Muslim population there. Often when anyone from the JRF travels to Detroit, it is to interact with that segment of the Detroit population.

An in Kufr khal? it was very hot and wearing it surely made him even hotter (in both meanings LOL

Ps:I have a weird Question and I would love to hear an answer,lol.
Why does HRH always wear the "Cufia",I mean when he inaugurated a reserve in Kufr khal (?),he was wearing it though it was so very hot,and in the US,where people do not know what it is exactely,he was wearing it aswell.
Is it something he has to do in celebrations and ceremonies?or does he like it and thats why he's always wearing it?

K. Hussein used to wear the kefiya a lot and in everything, his late father is P Hamzah's role model. It is said that before a speech he spends hours listening to his father's speeches on the same subject and practises exactly the same facial expressions and expressions ! I know that sounds catty but I am assured that this so.

I don't think what you said is catty. (And a catty comment coming out of you would be quite shocking to say the least.) But I always heard that KH had great 'stage precense' when speaking so if PHamzah wants to immitate him I think that is okay. Also he (PHamzah) is quite a young kid and he will probably develop his own style when he becomes more comfortable doing such things as giving speechs and such. I think PHamzah has a good chance of becoming quite the good little leader but he will have to fight that insidious palace mechanism to do it. And who knows if he has that in him. But as far as 'good wife-material' goes. I think PNoor is head and shoulders above QRania at similar milestones in their lives. Personally, I think PHamzah and PNoor are quite a potent cocktail of brains, perspective and duty....unlike some other members of the family.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shelley

K. Hussein used to wear the kefiya a lot and in everything, his late father is P Hamzah's role model. It is said that before a speech he spends hours listening to his father's speeches on the same subject and practises exactly the same facial expressions and expressions ! I know that sounds catty but I am assured that this so.

I don't think what you said is catty. (And a catty comment coming out of you would be quite shocking to say the least.) But I always heard that KH had great 'stage precense' when speaking so if PHamzah wants to immitate him I think that is okay. Also he (PHamzah) is quite a young kid and he will probably develop his own style when he becomes more comfortable doing such things as giving speechs and such. I think PHamzah has a good chance of becoming quite the good little leader but he will have to fight that insidious palace mechanism to do it. And who knows if he has that in him. But as far as 'good wife-material' goes. I think PNoor is head and shoulders above QRania at similar milestones in their lives. Personally, I think PHamzah and PNoor are quite a potent cocktail of brains, perspective and duty....unlike some other members of the family.

In QR's early years-she didn't do much, either. But I like PNoor's rather demure way about her. I find it very endearing. Also her education will be heads and tails above QR's and she has been raised a princess not thrown in the deap end like QR.

In QR's early years-she didn't do much, either. But I like PNoor's rather demure way about her. I find it very endearing. Also her education will be heads and tails above QR's and she has been raised a princess not thrown in the deap end like QR.

I don't know, Amoula. I just like her-that's all.

I like Princess Noor a lot too. She definitely has a very demure way about her, as you say Ipi Tombe, a sweetness and goodness that shines through. She is a young girl, whereas Queen Rania is a woman. You can't compare them or their education I don't think, though it is interesting to do so.

Psychology-wise, it is interesting to note that predominantly, demure girls do not appear threatening to other females, whereas women who appear to be assured and in control, tend to be threatening.

Personally, I think PHamzah and PNoor are quite a potent cocktail of brains, perspective and duty....unlike some other members of the family.

I agree with you that this young couple given half a chance could represent Jordan well. However, the K. has said privately and not so privately that he does not intend to make the 'mistake' his father did in letting the crown prince have too high a profile. An interesting point is that when mud gets slung around, and it does plenty in Jordan, no one has ever accused P. Hamzah or for that matter P. Rashid of having sticky fingers. These things do get noticed, even if they are not publically aired.